When was the last time you followed a brand on facebook?We see the invitation everywhere – on websites, TV, billboards, price tags, emails, you name it. But do these really work? To answer this question, you have to look at WHY people follow brands on facebook.
This is exactly what Andrew Blakeley did.
In his experiment “Find Us On Facebook,” he liked every brand that asked him for one week, and had some interesting results.
The resultsIn his week-long experiment, he “liked” a total of 46 brands, most of which invited him through email, TV, and facebook. However, the most interesting result he found was that of these brands, only 10 GAVE A REASON WHY he should “like them.”
The importance of WHY
These brands, thinking like marketers, see facebook as one more medium through which they can advertise. However, they failed to see the customer’s perspective. They failed to answer “Why?”
Before customers “like” a brand on facebook, they each want to know “what’s in it for me?” You might have an amazing product, quality content, and tons of promotions, but if you don’t tell the customers, they aren’t going “like” you.
What’s the Why?Marketers have several incentives that they can offer through facebook.
Advertising agency DDB Paris found that the top reasons people “like” a brand on facebook included:
- To take advantage of promotional benefits
- To be informed about new products offered by the brand
- To access exclusive information
These are tactics any brand can utilize. So use them! But more importantly, tell potential followers that you use them.That being said, in the midst of offering benefits, talking up new products, and giving information, don’t forget the importance of humanizing your brand.
So before you ask someone to “like” you, ask yourself, “why?”
